There’s a few professions that people love to hate: lawyers, car salesmen, mimes, Michael Jackson impersonators, door-to-door mustache salesmen, and of course, public relations professionals.

Indeed, my fellow flacks — myself included at times — often earn the contempt heaped upon them, most pointedly from reporters who tire of being pitched terribly self-serving, beat-inappropriate, or simply worthless story ideas.

Now comes this amusing tale of Goldman & Associates Public Relations vs. Style Weekly Magazine in Richmond, Va.

Apparently, over a four-week period, Goldman flack Scott McCaskey was incessantly pitching Style reporter Chris Dovi about his client — blind motivational speaker William Weeks who is speaking in Richmond Feb. 25.

After reaching his boiling point, Dovi sent an e-mail to his editor and accidentally copied the Goldman flack. It reportedly read:

“This guy is trying to kill me. He may be the most tenacious flack of all time. He’s been calling me about this blind fucker for four weeks. I keep telling him I’ll consider it and he keeps calling back. Finally I tell him it’s up to my editor and he still keeps calling back because he can’t get you on the phone. Now he’s back again! He’s making me want to claw my own eyes out in the hopes that if he won’t just get lost, I at least won’t have to look at his press release anymore!”

So what did Goldman do? It posted Dovi’s e-mail with the headline: “Reporter’s Obscene E-Mail Reveals Society’s Prejudice Against the Disabled.” It then added a quote from Weeks, the client.

“This is a sad and telling example of the prejudice that persons with disabilities still face,” Weeks said. “In making this e-mail public, we hope to raise awareness of the very real challenges so many people in America confront every day. We ask that all those who are distressed by this attitude and would like to create some positive momentum to combat this kind of ignorance, please attend the presentation…..”

Most young flacks are taught to not pick fights with people who buy “ink by the barrel,” and in this case, that’s just what Goldman has done.

Clearly, what Dovi wrote to his editor was insensitive and the language was unnecessary. Washington CityPaper is reporting it has now cost Dovi his job. But is the tact being taken by Goldman to “out” Dovi equally foolish? Is it just one more reason for people — and especially Dovi’s peers in journalism who Goldman people rely on — to hate PR flacks?

Or, will it prove to be a brilliant move and bring acclaim to Mr. Weeks that he otherwise would not have received?

What do you think?

You’re welcome.